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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — of the year
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — in sport
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com